Lady Falcons Remain Perfect on the Court

January 23, 2014

This season Fitch's football team started its season 12-0 before losing for the first time.

Last week the Fitch girls basketball team equaled what its gridiron brothers did and then some. The Lady Falcons picked up their 13th and 14th consecutive wins to begin the year and in the process cemented themselves at the top of the All American Conference standings and as a team to be reckoned with in the upcoming state tournament. Fitch capped Canfield 58-46 to begin the week then finished the week by blowing out Niles in back-to-back games 83-20 and 61-14.

The Falcons remained perfect in the record books by being nearly perfect from the foul line against Canfield Jan. 9. Fitch played from in front from the outset, which kept Canfield helpless for four quarters. The game plan for most of Fitch's opponents this season has been to bang on senior scorer Megan Sefcik to keep her out of shooting rhythm. That was the strategy used by the Lady Cardinals, but it backfired horribly. Sefcik fought through the harassment to lead the Falcons in scoring with 25 points. Nearly half, of which, were scored when the senior went to the foul line where she was a perfect 12 for 12. For the night, Fitch connected on 17 of 20 of its free throws. That percentage disabled the Cardinals from climbing back into the game in the final period.

There would be no need for cementing the contest at the charity stripe in Fitch's two matches with Niles last week. In a strange scheduling quirk Fitch and Niles played twice in three days. The Falcons had little trouble in the double-header as they outscored the foe by a combined score of 144-34. In the first game, Sefcik suffocated the Red Dragons with 15 points, twelve rebounds and eight assists. Sarah Melfe made her presence known with 13 points. The blow out also gave Fitch head coach Stacie Cepin an opportunity to empty her bench and 511 sophomore Alysoun Mukaabya took advantage. Mukaabya also reached double-digits on the evening with 11 points.

While the Falcons were enjoying an 80 plus performance at home Thursday, it was their defense that did the damage Saturday afternoon on the road. Fitch held Niles to just 5 points in the first half before shutting out the home team in the third period. The Red Dragons needed to score nine garbage points in the final frame just to eclipse ten points for the contest.

Fitch's upcoming games are against Poland, Boardman and Hubbard, teams with a combined eight wins. In previous games with the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Eagles Fitch won 66-23 and 77-25 respectively. Boardman gave Fitch its biggest scare of the season with a score of 48-46 in the season opener. The next test for Cepin's club will come when they host 11-3 and perennial Division II state contender West Branch Feb. 3.